"Writing creates sense of connection"

12 Tips to Study Smart instead of Study Hard

1. Get familiar with course curriculum

Most students take course curriculum for granted, while it’s a useful tool guiding you for the rest of the semester. It allows you to see the whole picture of what the course is going to be about, through lessons to be taught and specified important dates to remember. By reading it through, you’ll have a better idea of what you will be doing. Therefore, always ask for course curriculum and spare some times to read it.

2. Pay more attention

Teenagers in this fast changing world, are mostly addicted to their smart phones. We call it “FOMO”,which stands for “Fear of Missing Out”. They tend to feel there is something missing, which lead them to check their phones most of the time to keep updated with their friends. Consequently, lecturer’s speech seem no longer interesting enough to catch their attention in classroom. If you can give up this habit, and pay more attention to your lecturers, I bet you will be better than majority of your classmates.

3. Ask questions to lecturers

Stay away all the shyness, and grab the chance to ask whenever you have. Ask more, Gain more! Set aside the thoughts of your question is stupid; people will laugh at yours. Don’t hold inside your doubts. It will be more complicated if you don’t ask now. Once you lost track, you‘ll start to feel hopeless and inferior to the rest. Don’t ever let this happen on you!

4. Take notes

There a famous quote saying that, “ The palest ink is still better than the best memories” This is so true. Most students fail to take notes because they think they are going to remember everything. Well, you sometimes don’t even remember interesting dream you had last night, so don’t trust your memory, it’s only temporarily stored once you’re listening, then soon it will be gone. With those notebooks, you’ll feel like you are more in control and are missing less.

5. Make tickbox of things to do

When you encounter many things to finish at the same time, the only best way is to list them with a tick box in your notebook or calendar book (if you own one). By doing so, you won’t miss out any tasks and you can arrange them accordingly depend on what is more urgent or more important. If that task is really important, you may highlight it or put a big star mark to make it standout. Once you’ve done each of them, make a cross in the tick box until you finish them all.

6. Shuffle Off Procrastination

This point seems easier said than done. Before every exam, lecturers normally inform their students in advanced, giving sufficient times for them to be prepared. However, you always procrastinate till the deadline, everything will be piled up in the end, and you ended up reviewing a night before the actual exam. If you want to get the best result, you should set your calendar and start review as early as possible so that you will have more time to ask your lecturers or friends on points you cannot catch up. If possible, you should spend a little time reviewing what you have learned from the day, this will make you remember better.

7. Summarize each chapter

Most outstanding students never fail to read. Lecturer cannot teach you every single point from the books, hence, you should read before every class. Not most students are doing it, unless they are pressured from their lecturers. Therefore, if you do, you are a major step ahead everyone else. Reading is a fundamental habit that every learner must do. You cannot be an outstanding without taking effort in reading.

8. Be a volunteer

You don’t have to wait till you name to be called. Be active by raising up your hand and speak your mind out. People may laugh at your wrong answers, but usually you won’t feel their effects on you forever. Instead, you’ll feel appreciated, once you hit the point. Another thing, you will get noticed by your lecturers, more or less, it’ll help you with participation score or it’s easier to ask him or her for a recommendation letter when you need one.

9. Explain the lesson to others

Explaining the answers to others is a win-win situation. You’ll be able to be expert in the lesson, while at the same time you can make another person feel better too. Never hesitate to offer help to your friends. It doesn’t mean that you know everything, it’s how you learn from each other.

10. Minimize distractions & Alternate study spots

When it comes to review lesson learned, you often find it distracting by your surroundings, and it is hard stay focused. Find out what your main distractions are, and minimize it. If you are easily distracted by the noise, you’d better find a more quiet place to study such as library or study center. Some people enjoy listening to relaxing music for stress relief and healing, or music for studying and concentration, which you can easily find on Youtube.

11. Take regular breaks

Your brain would not function well if you force yourself studying for many hours in a row. There is a scientific research said that you should break after 2 hours studying to digest your information better. Take a short break around 10 to 20 minutes and get back to study once you’ll feel more fresh. Don’t push yourself too hard!

12. Don’t forget to have fun

Last important thing is to have FUN!!! No matter how busy you are, spare some times hanging out with friends, talking about random stuffs, and enjoying yourself to the way you like. Don’t shut yourself indoor, go and reward yourself for your hard work. Good Luck in your academic life !!!